ISRAEL: Conscientious objector sentenced to 28 days

On Sunday 26 September, IDF reservist G. S. was sentenced to 28 days for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. G. S. immigrated to Israel from South Africa 12 years ago, and told his trial on Sunday that his childhood in apartheid South Africa had been very influential on his willingness to go to prison for his beliefs. "I lived in a society where one group's survival translated into injustice for others. That's the situation in Gaza and I don't want to be part of that", he said according to an article in Ha'aretz from 27 September. G. S. is a signatory to the Combatants letter of "Courage to Refuse". Just a day before his call-up officers in his unit had expressed willingness to allow him to perform guard duty at the Kissufim crossing, without going into the Gaza strip itself. On Sunday, however, the IDF authorities put him on trial, and he was sentenced to 28 days in prison. According to Ha'aretz, G. S. said he believed that the move was an indication of a change in IDF policy, with a hard line being taken against the left wing ahead of the disengagement of the IDF from the Gaza strip. In addition, G. S. reported on the widespread "gray refusal": Of the around 130 reservists called up for duty in his unit last week, only 26 showed up. Around 50 were on sick leave, over 20 got off for "personal reasons", and 20 didn't show up at all (see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/482017.html).

War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to Israeli authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad. An email letter can be sent at http://www.wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20040930a.html.

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of G. S. and all imprisoned conscientious objectors.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International

Addresses
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov Fax: +972-3-696-27-57 / +972-3-691-69-40 / +972-3-691-79-15

Commander of Military Prison No. 4,
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel
Fax: +972-3-957-52-76

Commander of Military Prison No 6
Military Prison No 6
Military postal number 01860,
IDF, Israel.
Fax: +972-4-869-28-84

Addresses of Israeli embassies can be found at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm

Addresses of Israeli media:
Ma'ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il

Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses st.
Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46

Ha'aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-681-00-12

Ha'aretz (English edition):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il

Jerusalem Post:
P.O. Box 81
Jerusalem 91000
Israel
Fax: +972-2-538-95-27
e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il

Jerusalem Report:
Fax: +972-2-537-94-89

Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15 and +972-3-694-47-09 Galei Tzahal +972-3-512-67-20

Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09

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Conscription and Conscientious Objection Documentation War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road - London N1 9DX - Britain tel +44-20-7278 4040 - fax +44-20-7278 0444 email concodoc@wri-irg.org http://wri-irg.org

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